Forsaken Memories
by j-belle
Summary: Prologue to a story very loosely based on Anastasia. Ginny is an 18 year old, tying to find out where her family vanished to; Draco is an annoying con man, trying to help Ginny. Review if you will.


1 I own nothing. How depressing.. Oh well. Rowling has the fine privilege of owning these people. Author Notes are at the bottom.  
  
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4 "Virginia! Ginny, are you ready? "  
  
"Coming, Ron!" She yelled out, and did a final twirl in her baby blue dress. Virginia Fay Weasley was eight years old, and the only girl in the large family of seven. Tonight was the celebration party of the peace agreement between two of the most important families in England.  
  
The Weasley's, and the Malfoy's. Her father, Arthur Weasley, and Lucius Malfoy had finally set aside their differences and come to terms with reality. Peace was a must.  
  
Even with the joy that everyone felt with the recent news of this peace, Virginia still felt something was amiss with the whole thing.  
  
Lucius Malfoy was a bad man, she didn't care who said otherwise. He had to be, to have such a prat for a son! That Draco was so mean to her! He had made her cry last summer, and hadn't even apologized.  
  
"Virginia!" Her brother's voice rung out, swaying her out of her thoughts, and twirling. "Mum wants us now." He called out, rather impatiently.  
  
"I'm coming, I'm coming." She said, and scurried out of her room, her hand on her head to keep her still evident, fire red curls which had been placed atop her head in a style, in place.  
  
Her brother sighed exasperatedly, and grabbed her free hand, half-dragging her, half-leading her to the grand ballroom.  
  
Torches had been lit magically, and lined up against the walls; large chandeliers floated dangerously below the domed ceiling, the candles keeping from dripping, thanks to some very handy spells. Circular tables were set around the dance floor, adorned in white linen, and set with silver plates and cutlery. Guests were already milling about, laughing, dancing, or getting food from a large, ornate table.  
  
Ginny's light brown eyes couldn't help but get big in awe at the sight, she always was amazed when the castle was decorated for parties, and whatnot.  
  
She freed her hand from her brother's grasp—she doubted he had even noticed. He was too busy talking to some boy with dark hair, and green eyes, with glasses. And a girl, she noticed, with bushy brown hair. Frowning from being ignored, she took off into the scattered crowd of guests.  
  
The people who noticed the short little redhead nodded their heads respectfully. She stopped when she came to an outfit she recognized.  
  
Looking up confirmed what she had thought—it was her older brother, Bill. With most of her brothers, she didn't have that much to look up to, height wise. Those who would have their growth spurt hadn't had it yet, and the other were going to be short, anyways. Bill was older, though, and had already HAD his growth spurt, and as it was, she was rather short for her age. And that fact bugged her to death. She kept praying, and urging her body to hurry up and grow, but nothing had yet to happen.  
  
Her frown deepened, as he hadn't noticed her yet. But then, why should he? He had pretty ladies flocking over to talk to him. She tugged on his pant leg, agitatedly.  
  
He looked down, and smiled at Virginia, before picking her up.  
  
"How's it going, Gin'?" He asked her.  
  
She couldn't help but smile. He was the only one who shortened her nickname. Ron either called her Ginny, or Virginia, if he was in a hurry. Everyone else was pretty much the same, as well. "Ron's ignoring me again."  
  
"Is he now? Why don't you hang out with me for a bit? I hear Nanny's coming soon."  
  
"Really?" She asked excitedly. She loved her grandmother very much, but she didn't come around that often.  
  
Ginny looked thoughtful for a moment, before looking around from her high perch.  
  
" I like it when you pick me up. It makes me feel tall." She said, very matter-of-factly.  
  
"Well enjoy it while you can. I don't think I'll be able to do it much longer, what you with getting taller and all." He winked playfully at her.  
  
"Put me down, I think Nanny's here!" She said, while lightly pushing on his arm urgently.  
  
He set her down with a slight groan, and she pushed through the crowds of cheerful people to the front, where her grandmother would be sitting.  
  
She hopped from foot to foot excitedly. She couldn't wait to see her Nanny—though no one was really sure who came up with the name for their grandmother, it suited her just well.  
  
The older version of Molly, Ginny's mother, finally arrived in the room, and was escorted to where her favourite chair was, and, where her favourite granddaughter was. The moment she stepped within the five feet range of the red-haired child, Ginny pelted her with a hug that nearly tipped her over.  
  
"Ginny, dear, let Nanny have a sit." She managed to wheeze out.  
  
She didn't get a verbal response, but Ginny let go, and let her grandmother sit down. She bounced on her heels, waiting for the older woman to get situated, before kneeling down next to the chair.  
  
"Nanny, when can I come and help you in the shop at Diagon Alley?" Ginny finally burst out. It was the same question every time Ginny saw Nanny.  
  
The fact that her grandma worked at a shop in Diagon Alley simply amazed, and intrigued her; her mother usually wouldn't let Ginny go with her to Diagon Alley when shopping for her brothers for Hogwart's, or just shopping in general. She was afraid Ginny would get lost—for Ginny had a tendency to get awestruck, and then forget that she was to keep up with her family, thereby getting quite lost.  
  
"You're going to be how old this summer? Eight? Nine?" Nanny asked after much deliberation.  
  
"I'm going to be nine whole years this summer." Ginny said, looking important, before curious. "Why?"  
  
"You're getting quite big, Virginia. I think that this might be the year that you may come to help."  
  
Ginny's eyes got big, and hopeful. " Really?!" She shrieked happily.  
  
"Yes, dear. Really." Her grandmother couldn't help but smile at the unrefined joy on her granddaughters face.  
  
"I love you Nanny so much!" She cried, and jumped to her feet to give her Nanny a great big hug.  
  
"I love you too, Ginny." Nanny replied, returning the hug. "You know, I think maybe you're old enough to have this." She said, after they had broken apart, and pulled out a wand.  
  
"Nanny, I don't think—" Ginny started, but Nanny cut her off.  
  
"No, no, I truly think you are ready. You can start studying, and show those brothers of yours how to get grades at Hogwart's when you go." She smiled warmly.  
  
Ginny reached out, and took the wand, hesitantly. It shot off sparks the instant her fingers had contact with it, but not many people had noticed. Someone had just walked in and all their attention was drawn to whoever it was.  
  
Ginny and Nanny talked for a little while, before there was a crash, and a sudden uproar from the crowd. Ginny whipped around, to see what had happened, and there stood Lucius Malfoy, and obviously he was upset about something.  
  
"You honestly believe that?" He yelled, and Ginny couldn't help but wonder what.  
  
"I swear, all of you muggle lovers, and mudbloods," Nanny gasped a little when he said this and grabbed Ginny's hand, pulling her toward her. "And all of their sympathizers.  
  
"They will all go down. I know of this! And Weasley, you shall be the first of the families to know pain!" Lucius turned on his heel toward the door, pausing only to give a glare at a blond boy who looked a lot like him, and waited for the boy to follow, before they both exited the building.  
  
"Nanny! Nanny, that was Draco and Mr. Malfoy!" Ginny said, nervously.  
  
"I think it's time for you to go to bed, dear." Nanny said, and grabbed Ginny's hand, and took her to her room.  
  
  
  
Rest didn't last long, though. It couldn't have been later than three in the morning, when someone was knocking on her door, and swung it open.  
  
Ginny gasped, and sat up, red curls flying around her, before finally resting on her back and shoulders. "Nanny, what—"  
  
"Hurry, get your coat! We have to leave quickly!" Nanny said, not even letting her finish her sentence.  
  
Ginny felt the urgency of the situation, and quickly scrambled out of bed, and got her coat, which Nanny was holding out for her. She put it on, and couldn't help but glance out the window, and notice the sky was a mix of orange and red and black.  
  
"Nanny, why—" She started, but once again, her grandmother had cut her off.  
  
"Not now, we don't have time. We have to get out of her as quickly as possible!"  
  
As soon as she had finished sliding on her coat, Nanny grabbed her hand, and she was once again half-drug, half-led down the corridors of the castle. "Nanny, where are my brothers?" She finally got out.  
  
"They're gone." She answered, though it wasn't much of an answer.  
  
Halfway down a corridor, they ran into a certain blond nine-year old.  
  
"Draco!" Ginny sputtered out.  
  
"Shh! Go around the other way, and follow the blue corridor." He finally said after a minute of obvious thinking.  
  
Nanny paused, wondering whether or not they should believe him. After a minute's decide, she finally figured they might as well believe him.  
  
Nanny nodded her head in thanks, and whisked Ginny off to where he had instructed.  
  
"Of course! It's the Apparating room!" Ginny finally got why he had told them to go there. It was extremely remote, and it was the one room in the house that one could Apparate, and Disapparate.  
  
When they finally got to the room, Nanny pulled out two wands, handed Ginny's to her, and had her own ready. "Now, I'm going to Apparate us both, so you hold on tight, alright, dear?" Nanny said. She was actually quite nervous, having not tried this before, but it was a desperate time.  
  
Ginny nodded almost too enthusiastically, and was a bit dizzy afterward. She grabbed her Nanny's hand, frightened, after hearing rather angry shouts from down several halls.  
  
Someone yelled a spell, or curse, or something, Ginny couldn't determine which, just as they were Apparating out.  
  
For a moment, she was Nowhere, and then, suddenly, five feet in the air, and falling. She hit her head with a cry, and all she saw before black, were two menacing, horrible gray eyes.  
  
  
  
- - -  
  
  
  
Ginny woke with a start, a light sheen of sweat covering her face. She let out a soft sigh, and rubbed her face tiredly, before flopping back down on a pillow. And getting kicked by her younger bedmate.  
  
"Stupid over-packed government orphanages.." She muttered, before drifting back into a dreamless slumber.  
  
  
  
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7 It WILL be a D/G fic later, and if you like this, then do review. ( Please? If you don't review, I'll most likely lost interest, and quit writing. Haha, you only THINK I'm joking around, but I'm serious. I didn't get reviews last time I had an account here, and I totally just.. quit coming, even. So.. REVIEW. Please!  
  
And thanks, Cait, for telling me to post. 


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